Trump plans to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel

President Donald Trump and his senior aides are preparing for a Wednesday announcement that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, according to a senior administration official.

The official said the specifics of the announcement are still in flux, adding that the White House is considering having Trump unveil the plan during a speech at the National Defense University in Washington.

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The move, coupled with plans under consideration to eventually move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, could complicate efforts by Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner to restart peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Aides have said plans are still in flux and may change. The president had faced a Friday deadline under a 1995 law to issue a waiver allowing the embassy to remain in Tel Aviv, something presidents have routinely done since 1999.

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Trump promised as a candidate to move the embassy, a longstanding concern of some American Jews and evangelical voters. He deferred taking such a step in June, signing a waiver in order to give Kushner time to work on his peace plan.

A White House spokesman said Thursday: “The president has always said it is a matter of when, not if. The president is still considering options and we have nothing to announce.”